Inuyasha's Greatest Struggle
by Alice Hart
Summary: It’s been two years since Naraku’s miraculous defeat. Even more miraculous, Inuyasha has admitted his feelings for Kagome and is about to take the next big step. With everyone’s help, he is bound to succeed, if only his path was smoother. Two-shot.
1. He Loves, Um, Firewood?

**Inuyasha's Greatest Struggle**

**Chapter One: He Loves, Um, Firewood? **

_Disclaimer: Inuyasha does not belong to me._

* * *

"Do you have everything prepared?" asked Sango.

Holding up three fans and an assortment of "party supplies" stolen from Kagome, Miroku began to hand them out to his companions.

"This is great and everything," the little kitsune said as he received his party hat and bag of confetti. "But I don't think he will even make it pass the first stage."

Sango turned to Shippou. "You should have more faith in Inuyasha. He is capable of surprising things, after all."

"Sango's right, Shippou. This task is so simple, so _natural_, that any fool can accomplish it. And if he can defeat Naraku, he can do anything." Miroku was putting on his own party hat

"Hmph, well, he didn't do it all by himself. Everyone else helped, too," said Shippou, as he recalled their final battle with Naraku. It had been inevitably long and painful, with many sacrifices on their part. Sango's brother, Kohaku, did not survive the confrontation, and it had taken Sango half a year before she could even muster up a smile. The other casualty was the miko Kikyou, but in her case, she seemed to be content with finally being rid of Naraku and achieving true peace. She had left behind an arrow, which they brought back to Kaede. It is now kept on an altar in the village's small shrine.

"That's why we are helping him now. Even Inuyasha deserves to be as happy as I am." Miroku reached out his arm in an attempt to hug Sango to him, but she merely swatted him away.

"Not now, Miroku. We have more important things to do."

With the Kazana gone, Miroku had kept to his promise to Sango. Once she had had time to come to terms with her brother's death, Miroku got down on his knees in the middle of the village and asked Sango to bear all his children. Out of habit and embarrassment, because he had been very loud and there were many witnesses, she had smacked him. But of course, Sango agreed in the end. They have been married and settled in Kaede's village for the past year.

"I wonder what finally cracked him," mused Shippou.

"Probably their last fight, when Kagome had threatened to return to her time for good," answered Miroku.

"Yes, but that's nothing new."

"With Naraku dead and the Shikon completed, he is probably scared that one day, she will really have no reason to return," Sango offered her explanation.

Shippou pouted. "She'll still return for us!"

"Of course," Miroku agreed. "But you know how insecure Inuyasha can be when it comes to Kagome."

"WOULD YOU IDIOTS STOP TALKING ABOUT ME AS IF I'M NOT HERE?!"

The three turned towards the shouting figure who had been listening to their conversation with growing irritation. Inuyasha had his fingers clenched into fists in front of him and one eye was twitching at a worrying speed.

"Inuyasha, you're free to join in," replied Miroku, completely unfazed by the hanyou's anger.

"Why are you idiots even here?!" asked Inuyasha, emphasizing each word with a menacing step towards them.

Sango blinked back at him. "I thought you had been listening to us. We're here to offer you support."

"And to celebrate the happy occasion with you," continued Miroku.

Shippou couldn't resist adding, "And if you fail, we'd also like to witness your embarrassment."

Inuyasha gave as ferocious a growl as he could, but after all these years, it was becoming impossible to look intimidating in front of them.

"I don't need any help! Now go away and leave me alone. It's none of your business, anyways."

Miroku gasped in mock hurt. "How can you even say that? Of course yours and Kagome's happiness is our business!"

Sango, on the other hand, was afraid that if they pushed Inuyasha too far, he would back out altogether. She quickly reassured him. "You're right, Inuyasha. This is your private business. We'll just wait for your good news instead. Good luck!"

She proceeded to grab the monk and the kitsune by their collars and drag them away. Inuyasha looked on suspiciously, but once the three were out of sight, he went in search of Kagome.

"Are we really going to not watch?" Miroku was still being dragged away by Sango.

She looked at him. "Of course we're going to watch."

"Okay, he's out of sight now. Let's follow him!" Shippou jumped out of Sango's grasp and ran after Inuyasha. Miroku and Sango followed close behind.

--

Inuyasha found Kagome in the middle of the village, playing ball with the children. He had to grudgingly admit that the sight was adorable. Not wanting to disturb them right away, he approached her quietly. Kagome had just caught the ball and was backing up to throw it when she bumped into Inuyasha and tripped over his feet.

"Ahhh!" He had managed to catch her, but one of her hands was still scratched from being extended to break her fall. "Inuyasha! Next time make a sound when you show up, won't you?"

"What?! Don't try to blame your clumsiness on me!"

"Hmph!"

"I need to talk to you, so come on!" He tried to drag her away, but Kagome refused to budge.

"I'm kind of busy right now, Inuyasha. Is it important?" She was still a bit miffed at being called clumsy when it was obviously _his_ fault.

"Of course it is, wench! You're always so difficult."

Kagome almost relented, but the children swarmed them.

"Kagome-chan! Are you leaving already?"

"You promised you'd play with us the whole day!"

"Stop bothering her, brats! She has to do something important now. She'll play with you later, so go away!"

"Inuyasha, don't yell at them!"

"I'm not yelling!"

Seeing that they clearly have the upper hand on the hanyou, the children decided to use it to their advantage and simultaneously burst into tears. Kagome gasped and knelt down to placate them.

"Inuyasha, you've scared them!"

One of the boys jumped into Kagome's arms and stuck out his tongue at Inuyasha over her shoulders.

"No, I haven't! The brats are faking it!"

A small crowd of villagers, mostly concerned parents, have arrived on the scene. Kagome looked a bit embarrassed to be caught with a group of crying children after they have been entrusted to her for the day. Luckily, the children stop crying when their parents moved to collect them.

"Whatever you want to say, Inuyasha, you can just say it right here," said Kagome as she turned her full attention on him.

Inuyasha looked like a deer caught in the headlights. "Uh, well…" The crowd has still not dispersed.

"What are you all looking at? Leave already!" He yelled at the villagers. They were moving away very slowly, but he continued his conversation with Kagome anyway. "I was thinking…I mean, I've been thinking a lot, and I think that you should remain here. Permanently."

"What? I can't do that, what about –"

But Inuyasha didn't let her finish. He rushed on, "It's not like you're really needed over there anyways, now that you're finished with all those 'tests.'"

Kagome glared at him, but he was blushing too hard to notice.

"Sango and Miroku would be happy to have you around. And the kit already thinks of you as his mother. Kaede can probably use some help around here since she's about to kick the bucket any day…"

Kagome was about to yell at him for being ridiculous, asking her to leave her family for good, but his next words stopped her.

"And I would…Well, I mean, I'm asking you to stay because I…"

"You what, Inuyasha?" asked Kagome expectantly.

Inuyasha rambled on awkwardly, "I…uh…well, we all know how clumsy you can be sometimes. And now that the Shikon is completed, it's not like your miko sight is needed anymore. I mean, I guess you can shoot a few arrows…But I've put up with you so far, I would…I'm sure I can put up with you some more. I guess what I'm trying to say is I lo--"

His last word was completely drowned out by Kagome's consecutive shouts of "Sits!" By the flames burning in her eyes, it was evident that she had stopped listening before the lafst sentence. After one last "Sit!" for good measure, Kagome stomped away.

When Miroku, Sango, and Shippou reached the village center, everyone had cleared away.

"Is it over already?" Miroku looked around. "I thought I heard their voices coming from over here."

"Oh, is that Inuyasha on the ground?" Sango pointed to the crumbled figure in red.

Shippou walked forward and stopped next to Inuyasha. "Was she so overcome with joy that she sat you?"

Inuyasha lifted one arm off the ground to punch the kitsune, but missed when he jumped backwards.

"I guess there's no need to ask what happened," Sango commented.

Miroku shook his head in wonder. "Only Inuyasha could turn a proposal into an insult."

Sango glared at him. "You were pretty insulting, the way you asked all the women to bear your children."

"But I did it right when it actually matters!" He crouched down next to Inuyasha. "Not everyone has my suaveness to propose in public settings, Inuyasha. Especially you."

Sango snorted at Miroku's mention of his suaveness. "Yes, maybe you should try again when you two are alone."

"I tried to get her away!" yelled Inuyasha.

"How about catching her alone instead of trying to rudely pull her away? In fact, try no rudeness at all," advised Shippou.

--

"Oi, Kagome, are you finished yet? You are so slow at everything!"

It was almost second nature for Inuyasha to start conversations with an insult, so Kagome's reaction was only a mild grumble.

"Yes, Inuyasha. I'm almost done. Just give me a few more minutes."

Inuyasha jumped down from his perch on the tree to land on a rock next to Kagome. She was crouched on a similar rock, figure bent over a stream, washing her light blue yukata. It was the last of her laundry load. After twisting out the water, she dumped it into the large tub containing the other garments.

"Was there a reason you were looking for me, Inuyasha?"

"No! I was just walking."

"Okay." Kagome picked up the tub to leave, but staggered a bit under its weight.

When she was steady on her feet again, Inuyasha had already grabbed the tub away from her. "Oh fine, I'll help you carry it! You really need to work on building up your strength, even if that bastard Naraku is gone."

Kagome gave Inuyasha a peevish look for his brusque manners. "Well, you should help. Your haori is in there, too."

"Keh."

They made the trip back to the village in companionable silence. Outside Kaede's hut, Inuyasha seemed to have made up his mind about something. He tossed the tub to the side and turned to face Kagome fully.

"Hey, I just finished washing those! And we have to hang them up still."

The brief interruption made Inuyasha lose his nerve, and he glumly followed Kagome to hang the garments on the clothesline that stretched out by the hut. While working, Inuyasha surreptitiously glanced over at Kagome and barely paid attention to what he was doing. He was just waiting for the right moment to say the words, but somehow, silence was not enough of an incentive.

When Kagome finished with her pile, she looked over to check on Inuyasha's progress, only to grimace at the sight. The clothes were tangled up in each other, and some pieces were even dragging on the ground.

"Inuyasha, thank you for all your help. I can finish up the rest."

"Fine." But he remained to watch as she meticulously straightened out each garment.

Picking up a piece of Shippou's clothing to inspect, Kagome announced, "Hmm. I'm thinking of getting new clothes for Shippou. I wonder if he'd like something I pick out."

Partly annoyed that Kagome was thinking of gift ideas for someone else, Inuyasha was quick to shoot down her plan. "Keh! You need to stop babying him like that. It's not good for him in the long run. How will he ever learn to survive on his own if he has someone picking out _clothes_ for him?!"

"Doing something nice for others once in awhile is hardly harmful to them!"

"It is when you're struggling to survive."

He said it in such a matter-of-fact way, as if it was a normal part of life. Somehow, this made Kagome yearn to reach out and engulf him in a hug. But no, that would be entirely inappropriate in the present circumstances.

"Inuyasha, it makes me really sad when I imagine everything you had to suffer through. I wish I was there with you then, too. I know you are concerned for Shippou, but I hope that we could show him a different world from the one you knew."

Kagome was trying valiantly to suppress the tears that were starting to emerge. Inuyasha would probably think she's being too emotional again, crying over something so silly.

But all he said was, "Keh, it wasn't all that bad." And then, "I bet you're going to be much more coddling when we have pups of our own."

The last was muttered so quietly to himself that if Kagome hadn't been standing next to him, she would have missed it completely. As it was, she barely heard and wasn't quite certain she had heard correctly.

"Wha – Sorry, Inuyasha, but what did you just say?"

Inuyasha's mind clambered to make sense of just exactly what he had said, and his face turned a deadly white color. He was rooted to the spot and desperately trying to come up with a reasonable excuse for his words, anything but an admission of the truth. But the only words his brain could come up with were "pups of our own." They were ringing in his head, so loudly that he feared the whole village could hear his thoughts.

"Inuyasha, what of our own?"

Kagome was extremely persistent when she wanted to be. A tiny corner of his mind said this was the perfect opportunity to come out with what he had intended to ask Kagome. But that tiny corner was easily overwhelmed by the rest of his panic-stricken brain. As in all dangerous situations, when Inuyasha was too cornered and things became hopeless, his mind shut down and conceded all control to his instincts.

In true instinct-driven, Inuyasha fashion, he responded the only way he knew how. "Pups of YOUR own! You know, when you have your own children!" He was practically shouting at her. "I was afraid they would turn out to be as helpless as their mother. But now that I think about it, I'm sure that's a worry you'll never have to face. It's not like someone will ever.….."

Over the course of their travels, Inuyasha's mind and body had developed a separate warning system where Kagome's concerned. It enabled him to sense when she was in danger and when he was in danger from her. That system was now hysterically blaring at full volume, and Inuyasha knew he was approaching the point past all salvation.

Luckily, his Kagome instincts were much stronger than any other instinct and had taken over control. He hastily backtracked. "You'll never have to face that worry because, uh, there's Miroku!"

"Huh?"

"Um…you can learn from all his mistakes. Once he has his own brood. We can only hope that they won't take after him too much."

"How did Miroku get into this conversation?" Kagome was trying hard to grasp the logic of Inuyasha's explanations.

"Because, because he was talking about you having pups. I mean, children, the other day, and uh…"

"Why was Miroku talking about me having children, and why were you joining in?"

"Because of Sango! They are married, so naturally the monk would be thinking about starting his family. He has wanted kids forever, and you know how his mind wanders. But when it wandered to you, I knocked him out, of course!"

"Okay… Actually, that's okay, Inuyasha. I don't really want to know the details of Miroku's thoughts on child bearing."

"Yeah, no one should ever have to!"

"Well, we're all finished here, so I think I'm going to sleep now. Good night." With a wave to Inuyasha, Kagome hastily retreated into the hut.

When she was gone, Inuyasha half slumped in exhaustion and relief. If he had known the monk would be such a good shield from prying questions, he would have brought him into it much sooner. Inuyasha was so preoccupied with his near escape that he didn't notice the subject of his thoughts walking up behind him. When Miroku placed a hand on his shoulder, Inuyasha jumped back in surprise.

"Don't sneak up on people like that, monk!"

"I didn't realize I was being sneaky. So how did it go?" Sango and Shippou had joined Miroku and were also looking at Inuyasha expectantly.

"I didn't get a chance. She was tired so she went to sleep."

"Why is your face red, Inuyasha?" questioned Sango innocently.

"No reason! Why are you guys always so nosy?" Inuyasha backed further away from them.

"It seems our Inuyasha had inadvertently said some words he was too embarrassed to repeat to Kagome." Four pairs of eyes turned as one towards Kaede, who was stepping out of the shadows.

"What the –! Kaede-baba, you were spying on us?!" Inuyasha turned on the old miko, but she ignored him.

"I did not hear the exact words, but their conversation afterwards suggests that Inuyasha had made some references to him and Kagome having pups together."

"What?!" asked Miroku, Sango, and Shippou at once.

It was just Inuyasha's luck that even the old bat would be this nosy. He decided that the best course of action would be to admit nothing and secure an escape route as quickly as possible.

"Inuyasha, I never knew you had it in you!" Miroku was clapping him on the shoulder in congratulations, but Inuyasha quickly shrugged him off and glared at all of them.

"And while you were talking about all of that, you still couldn't manage to ask the one question you had set out to?" asked Sango incredulously

Miroku smack his fist against his hand. "Darn, that was so close. You had the perfect mood, too. What did you end up doing?"

"He insulted her, as usual," Kaede answered before walking away with a chuckle.

Shippou crossed his arms and added his two cents. "Of course. Inuyasha ruins all good things."

--

In a quiet clearing on the outskirts of Kaede's village, four figures stood in deep conference. One of them, the hanyou, had been dragged there through force and cunning.

The monk was currently speaking to him. "I don't think it was a total loss. When you look at it in a positive light, she's already prepared ahead of time. You brought to her attention the fact that you've been thinking about children. Yours and hers."

A growl and a glare were Inuyasha's only response to this reminder of his blunder, but Miroku continued on bravely. "And most importantly, she must be thinking about the same thing now. It's perfect. For your next step, you can just skip right over the proposal and go straight to the actual act of –"

Miroku's next words were immediately cut off by Sango's hiraikotsu connecting solidly with the back of his head. The force of the blow knocked him off his feet, which was actually quite lucky for him. A quick second after, Inuyasha's Tetsusaiga was striking at the spot where Miroku's neck had been. Even in its untransformed state, Inuyasha can still do much damage to a human with the sword.

"Miroku!" Sango was torn between giving her husband another smack for his lecherous words and monitoring Inuyasha's movements, in case he felt a blow to the head was not enough punishment for the monk.

Shippou glanced down at Miroku's prone body with an unperturbed face from having witnessed far too many similar scenes. Then he looked back up at Inuyasha. "Putting Miroku's dirty thoughts aside, there is some truth to what he says."

Inuyasha was raising his sword again, and there was no doubt as to whose head it would descend upon this time, but before he could bring it down, Shippou plunged ahead, "And the truth is that you have made it through the toughest part. After blurting out something as embarrassing as that, and then covering up in such an idiotic manner, there is no way you can top it."

It was just like Shippou to tack insult onto advice. And although an insult to himself was not as great as one to Kagome, Inuyasha still made a swipe at Shippou's head with his claws. The gesture was more out of habit than real anger, and excessive experience allowed Shippou to easily dodge it.

"I'm right, aren't I? There's nothing holding you back now."

"That was not the most embarrassing part. Facing her after that incident is!" replied Inuyasha.

Shippou rubbed his chin in one hand as he mulled over this. "Yeah. I think you might be right."

Inuyasha growled again. Lately, he was doing a lot of that around them. By this time, Miroku had picked himself off the ground and was recovered enough to contribute to the conversation. "You have no other choice. Are you planning to never face Kagome-sama again? Never speak to her again?"

"Of course I'd speak to her again!"

"Well then…" The monk waved his hands towards Inuyasha in encouragement.

Sango, who had been mostly quiet, finally decided that they would get nowhere if she left things up to the males of the group. "Inuyasha, it doesn't have to be that difficult! Stop going around in circles with your insults and vague references to confuse her. I think it would be much easier if you would just come right out and say it."

"Keh! That's the problem. I don't even have the words for that," sulked the hanyou.

Sango sighed in exasperation, "All right. Then I'll give you the words. Just walk up to her and say, 'Listen Kagome, I have something to tell you. I want to spend the rest of my life with you because I love you.'"

Inuyasha's eyes widened in horror. "No way am I going to say that! No freaking way!"

"Why not if it's the truth? Tip-toeing around the issue accomplished nothing for you so far. Now just go and do it already!"

Planting both feet firmly on the ground, Inuyasha folded his arms across his chest and glared at Sango in stony silence. She glared back at him with equal determination. For several heart beats, both refused to budge as Miroku and Shippou nervously look back and forth between them. But at Kagome's cheerful "Good morning Kaede-sama!" from the direction of the village, Inuyasha's stubborn expression transformed into one of panic, and he finally gave in.

"Fine," Inuyasha ground out to Sango before abruptly turning around and marching towards Kagome with determined strides.

Sango looked on with a smirk of triumph while Miroku and Shippou crept after Inuyasha. When the glow of victory had faded, Sango realized that she had been left behind and ran to catch up. The trio finally settled out of sight behind some bushes, but still at a comfortable distance to eavesdrop.

Meanwhile, Inuyasha had reached Kagome and was effectively blocking her path.

"Good morning, Inuyasha."

So intent was he on practicing Sango's words over and over in his head that Inuyasha met Kagome's greeting with an intense scowl and silence. Thinking that he was in one of his sour moods again, Kagome made to step around Inuyasha and continue on her way, but he only moved to block her again.

Before Kagome's annoyed words could leave her mouth, Inuyasha rushed out the first part of Sango's advice, "Kagome, I have something to tell you!"

Kagome was a bit startled by his forceful tone and intense look. She gave him a worried look in return and asked, "What is it, Inuyasha?"

"I…uh." He took a deep breath. "I have to tell you." He felt his face heating up with each syllable.

"Tell me what?"

Silence, followed by scuffling of feet as Inuyasha looked down at the stones scattered on the ground, up at the clouds, anywhere but Kagome's face.

"Um. Sango… She…" More silence.

"What about Sango?"

"No, no. This…this has nothing to do with Sango. Or Miroku and his lecherous thoughts. Or the runt's annoying goading! This is...um…you…"

For her part, Kagome was back to being annoyed. "Inuyasha, if you have something to say, then say it already. I still have to go collect herbs for Kaede-sama."

"Well, I'm trying to! Quit being so impatient, wench!" Inuyasha growled.

Kagome ground her teeth at the old insult, "Do you want breakfast or not? This early in the morning, you can try to be helpful by collecting firewood instead of standing in my way."

Kagome was trying to walk around him again, and Inuyasha felt like he was running out of time and courage. He quickly pulled his gaze back to her face and launched into whatever was on his mind.

"I…I wanted to tell you. I want to…to spend the rest of my life...collecting firewood. For you! Uh…because…because I like… I love… fire?"

By the time he reached his last word, all coherent thought had fled with the heat of embarrassment radiating off his face in waves. It was Kagome's turn to silently stare at Inuyasha. About ten feet away and behind some bushes, three groans of frustration followed by three loud smacks could be heard in unison. At the sound, Inuyasha turned to glare into the bushes while Kagome continued to blink and stare.

Finally, she reached out a hand to tentatively touch his shoulders. "Um, okay. Maybe… maybe you should go lie down for a bit, Inuyasha. Your face looks a bit red. It's unusually hot this morning. I think you might be having a heat stroke."

Inuyasha swiveled back around to Kagome. "What? Of course I'm not, you stupid wen – girl! Like I could be so weak!"

With those parting words, Inuyasha stomped angrily ahead, making his way towards the forest.

"Wait, where are you going?" Kagome called after him.

"What does it look like? To collect firewood!" He threw back over his shoulders as he leapt into the cover of the trees and out of sight.

Kagome shook her head and sighed as she continued on her path at a leisurely pace.

**To be continued.**


	2. Fifth Time's the Charm

**Inuyasha's Greatest Struggle**

**Chapter Two: Fifth Time's the Charm**

_Disclaimer: Inuyasha does not belong to me._

* * *

"I was wrong. You can outdo yourself."

This statement was followed by the sounds of scrambling feet across the floor as Inuyasha chased Shippou around Kaede's hut.

"I am going to permanently shut your mouth, you little runt!"

"Inuyasha, taking your frustrations out on Shippou is hardly conductive to our mission," sighed Miroku wearily.

"I think you're the one who should watch your mouth, Inuyasha!" Shippou shouted back towards the hanyou.

"At least he managed to walk away without insulting her this time," Miroku pointed out. "You almost said what you were supposed to, and you didn't anger her. A definite improvement."

Sango was sitting next to Miroku, in the midst of the swirl of dust created by Shippou and Inuyasha. "We all knew Inuyasha was bad with words, but his handicap seems to be far more potent than we imagined."

"I knew he was too inept for something as big as this." Shippou continued his jibes in between gulps of air.

Sometimes Sango thought that old habits really are hard to let go of. Just look at Shippou and his taunting of Inuyasha. Miroku and his indecent thoughts and words. Both seem incapable of restraining themselves despite past painful experiences. But she continued on calmly, "Perhaps Inuyasha can express his intentions with action instead. Some significant gesture to make Kagome understand."

Miroku perked up at this idea of Sango's. He raised one index finger and opened his mouth to add to the new plan. "Oh, I know what Inuyasha can do. He should –"

Whatever he felt Inuyasha should do was never to be voiced for Miroku had just received a deadly glare from his wife.

"Don't even say it, Miroku! I think even your skull won't withstand another beating in so short a time span."

"But Sango, dear! You don't even know what I was going to suggest!"

"Miroku, we all know your dirty mind well enough." This growl was from Inuyasha, who had stopped chasing Shippou to listen to Sango.

"As I was saying, Inuyasha could do something equivalent to a proposal. He could get down on one knee," Inuyasha balked at this image, but Sango ignored him, and give her something that would ask the same question."

She gave Miroku a sharp glance. "And no, Miroku. It's not anything you would think of."

She turned back to Inuyasha and continued, "When Miroku and I decided to get married, I asked Kagome about the customs of her time, and she told me that the husband always propose with a ring of some sort."

"I don't have a ring. Where would I even get one?"

"I don't think it has to be a ring specifically. It's just a symbol of the husband's promise to spend their lives together, so any meaningful object would do."

"Hnn." Inuyasha drummed his claws on the floor in thought. "Something that we have a long history with…"

"Kikyo's arrow is most definitely _not_ the thing to use, Inuyasha," Miroku quickly cautioned.

"I wasn't even thinking of that, monk! How stupid do you think I am?"

Miroku stared dubiously at Inuyasha but said nothing.

"Oh! The Shikon no Tama is very special, isn't it?" Shippou piped up.

"She already _has_ that, runt!"

"The Tetsusaiga is something that means a lot to Inuyasha," offered Miroku. "Although it might be a bit unwieldy to present. You have to be careful to hand her the other end."

"But doesn't he need that to retain his human side?" asked Shippou.

"Well, it's not like he can't touch it again after." Miroku's mouth was widening into a grin, and they could all guess where his thoughts were heading.

"Miroku! Don't even start!" Sango scolded. "Anyways, that doesn't matter, you two! He is not going to propose with a sword!"

Inuyasha lifted an object from a corner of the hut to show Sango.

"No, you're not proposing with that either! She'll just think you want her to cook you some ramen."

"Then what?!"

"I don't know. Think harder! Isn't there something that you gave her? She gave you?"

"No," said Inuyasha sullenly, "I – oh."

"What?" Sango stood up eagerly.

"There might be something. Kagome gave me this a long time ago."

"Well, let's see it!" Miroku prodded.

Reluctantly, Inuyasha pulled out a small, round, and golden object from the folds of his haori. "It's supposed to be a heart, and you wear it around your neck," he repeated Kagome's explanation so long ago.

"Oooh." All three of his companions admired the object.

They were even more delighted to discover that the "locket" opens up and contained two small pictures of Inuyasha and Kagome.

"Oh, this is just perfect!" Sango clapped her hands together. "I'm sure Kaede-sama can find someone in the village to make an obi for you to give Kagome along with this."

"Why an obi?"

"Because it's tradition that a husband-to-be presents his lady with a wedding obi. You can combine our customs and hers. Once we have one made, we'll meet by the stream and wait for her."

--

"What took you so long, Inuyasha?" asked Sango impatiently.

"I was just taking a walk to think!"

Shippou looked at him suspiciously. "You weren't planning to cowardly run away at the last minute, were you?"

Inuyasha raised a fist threateningly. "No!"

"All right, this time will be the one. They say that the third time is always the charm," Miroku drew their attention back to the task at hand.

Shippou was quick to dash his hopes. "This is actually his fourth attempt."

"Yes, but this time, he doesn't have to say anything. He just has to hand her two simple items, pre-approved by all of us."

"Enough talk. You're distracting him." Sango had reverted back to her focused Taijiya mode and was going over last minute instructions with Inuyasha again.

Sango lifted up the white, intricately decorated obi that the villagers had gladly made for Inuyasha as payment for his protection over the years. By now, it seemed Kagome might be the only person left in the village who didn't know Inuyasha's intentions.

"I have the obi here," Sango said as Inuyasha hesitantly extended his hand to touch it. "Remember to go down on one knee?"

"Keh! Is that really needed?"

"Yes! Got the locket?"

"Yes." Inuyasha patted his chest, then reached into his haori to take out the locket. But when he withdrew his hand, it was empty. He looked at them in fear. "Wait, wait, I don't have it!"

"What do you mean? How can you not?" Sango demanded while Inuyasha continued patting down his clothes in search of the locket.

"I… I must have dropped it?"

"Of all the times to lose things. I should have prayed for you more," Miroku sighed.

They heard footsteps coming from the other side of the bushes, signaling Kagome's arrival.

"Well, then quickly retrace your steps," Sango whispered her order to Inuyasha. "She's already here."

"I'll help!" Shippou announced.

The two were about to run back in the direction Inuyasha had come from when they all heard a loud rustling of leaves through the forest. Someone was making their way towards the stream, and at an extremely fast rate. Within a blink of the eye, they felt a strong wind whip past them and land on the other side of the bushes, right next to Kagome.

"Kagome! I've tracked you down at last!"

The source of the disturbance was well known and much hated to Inuyasha.

"Kouga-kun! I haven't seen you in such a long time! How are you?"

"Much better now that I'm in your presence, Kagome!"

"What brings you here?"

"I was looking for you, of course. There was something important I wanted to ask you. But first, I think I have found something of yours." To Kagome's surprise and everyone else's horror, Kouga held up Inuyasha's gold locket.

"I found it in the forest and saw your picture in it." The locket had fallen open to reveal both Kagome and Inuyasha's faces. "Although that filthy dog is there, too."

"Oh, that's– well, actually, I had given it to Inuyasha. But what it's doing _abandoned_ in the forest, I have no idea." Kagome's eyes were narrowing in irritation as she said this. "Thank you for retrieving it, Kouga-kun."

Kagome reached out to take the locket from Kouga, but he had moved it away from her. Then, as if to rub Inuyasha's face into his triumph even more, Kouga went down on one knee. He clasped both of Kagome's hands in his, pressing the golden locket into her palm, and looked deep into her eyes. With the most adoring expression on his face, he addressed Kagome in a soft, but clear, tone.

"Dearest Kagome, I would like to first say what I've come to tell you." Without further preamble, Kouga launched flawlessly into his speech. "As you must already know, I have always loved you, and my love for you grows with each day. Over the past years of our time together, I feel that each adventure, each danger, has only brought our hearts closer together. For so long I have been focused on defeating Naraku, but with him gone, my only wish now is to spend the rest of my days with you. Please make me the happiest being in the world by agreeing to be my woman!"

Through Kouga's proposal, Kagome had been trying to pull her hands out of his grasp little by little. But while his hold on her was gentle, it was also firm, and she had no choice but to let him finish his piece in their current positions.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the bushes, Inuyasha and the others watched on in trepidation and nausea, the latter feeling was mostly from Inuyasha.

"How nice. Uh, yes, you want to do it just like that, Inuyasha," Miroku told Inuyasha sagely.

"How could we have not foreseen this?" Sango moaned dejectedly, head bowed low.

Shippou blinked up at Inuyasha. "How come he is so much better at it than you, Inuyasha?"

"SHUT UP!" Inuyasha shouted at all three. With one last glare at his companions, he jumped over the bushes they were hiding behind and kicked Kouga clear across the stream, but not before snatching the locket back.

"That's mine, wolf turd! And get your stinky paws off Kagome before I cut them to pieces and shove them down your throat!"

"I'd like to see you try it, dog breath! I'll be glad to deliver Kagome from your filthy presence!" Kouga was back on his feet and over the stream in a flash, returning Inuyasha's kick with one of his own.

Kagome, sensing a bloodbath coming up, tried to intervene without getting caught in the cross fire. She was too intent on her goal to wonder how Inuyasha had showed up so quickly. When it came to jealously fighting over her, Inuyasha's senses seemed to be in top form.

"Inuyasha! Kouga-kun! Both of you stop it!"

Her cries were completely ignored, as the combatants were busy slamming each other into nearby trees and foliage.

"Inuyasha, sit!"

Inuyasha body slammed into the ground while in mid-flight towards Kouga. "Kagome, you bitch! What did you do that for??"

But Kagome had already turned her attention onto the other stubborn youkai.

"Kouga-kun! Come with me!" She yanked him down by the back of his shirt as he was about to leap into the Inuyasha-shaped hole to continue the fight.

By the time Kagome had calmed Kouga down and removed him to the other end of the stream, Inuyasha had climbed out of his own hole. He was in a full blown sulk, however, and refused to even glance in Kagome and Kouga's direction as he stalked away into another part of the forest. Sango, Miroku, and Shippou could only watch him go.

Kagome turned to look after Inuyasha as he left. When he was out of her sight, she sighed.

"Can you guys give me a moment alone with Kouga-kun?" This was addressed to the three onlookers, whose presence Kagome had just noticed but was too tired to question.

With a murmured "of course, Kagome-chan," they retreated back into the forest to give the two some privacy. With everyone gone, Kagome focused her attention back on Kouga. He was smiling at her, and she had a feeling he was about to start one of his amorous speeches again. Keeping her hands behind her back and out of reach, Kagome began her own speech before he could open his mouth.

"Kouga-kun, we have been through a lot together. All of us. And I do consider you one of my very good friends. While I am very flattered by your proposal and all your, um, very nice words, I have told you before that I can't be your woman. I just don't really feel _that _particular way for you. You understand, right?"

Her little speech was met by silence at first, but then Kouga squared his shoulders and replied firmly, "I know you can't return my feelings right now, but that won't stop me from trying to convince you!"

Kagome almost face-vaulted into the ground at his words. Kouga was possibly _more_ stubborn than Inuyasha.

"But Kouga-kun, I really don't think that my feelings will change, and–"

"Say no more, Kagome. We each have a right to our own feelings, correct?"

Kagome was stumped by that. "I guess so…"

"I will leave you with the dog turd for now, but one day, I will definitely make you my woman!" With that, Kouga turned to leave, and Kagome sighed in exasperation.

Before he could move more than a few steps, however, another voice rang out, "Kouga-kun!" For the second time that day, a whirlwind sped through the forest and stopped by the stream. This second whirlwind immediately latched onto one of Kouga's arms.

"There you are! I finally caught up with you, Kouga-kun."

"A-Ayame!" Kouga stammered out with a distressed look that was comically similar to the one Kagome had worn earlier when he took hold of her hands to propose. "What are you doing here?"

"I was looking for you, of course!"

"Ayame, I told you to stop following me."

"Why?"

"Because I already have a fiancée! She's Kagome, and she's standing right there!" Kouga was waving in Kagome's direction, but despite his words, he was slowly backing away from both Kagome and Ayame.

Kagome was about to make a protest at his choice of words, but Ayame beat her to it. "But _I'm_ your fiancée! You promised to marry me, remember?"

"Uh, look, Ayame, that was very long ago. When we were children, and um…well, Kagome. Ayame. It's time for me to go now. I'll catch you later, Kagome!"

Kouga spun around in place and dashed away from the stream at a speed that was somehow even faster than his arrival. Kagome was still raising her hand up to wave goodbye, but he was already out of sight, and Ayame was close on his heels.

"Kouga-kun, wait for me! I won't give up on you!" Ayame's shout lingered in the air after she disappeared.

If Ayame was as stubborn as Kouga, and Kagome strongly suspected so, then the problem with Kouga would probably resolve itself without much more effort on her part. Her mood having been much improved by that thought, Kagome headed back in search of her own stubborn hanyou.

--

With no such thoughts to lighten up his own mood, the said stubborn hanyou was still brooding somewhere and refused to be found. Kagome knew that at times like these, it was best to let him cool off on his own first. In another part of the village, Miroku, Sango, and Shippou had stumbled onto Inuyasha through pure luck. Tired of brooding in the forest, Inuyasha had decided to return and mope in the village.

"Inuyasha, why don't you come down from that tree? Our necks are getting tired from craning up at you," complained Sango.

"Good, then go away."

Miroku hit the tree with his staff. "Come now, Inuyasha. You can't just give up after a few setbacks. You're getting closer every day to the goal!"

"Miroku, you don't have to lie to him like that. He's nowhere near the goal." Turning his head up to the top branches of the tree, Shippou addressed Inuyasha, "Stop being such a baby all the time."

"I think it's time to return to basics," Sango decided.

"He has never left the basics," Shippou pointed out.

Finally fed up with their nagging, Inuyasha jumped down from the tree and stomped back towards the center of the village. The two humans and kitsune looked at each other, but did not move to stop him, choosing instead to silently follow from far behind.

As Inuyasha was making his way into the village, his mind was replaying images of Kagome and that wolf turd together in the forest. When it came down to it, Inuyasha was confident enough to believe that Kagome probably has no feelings for the dirty wolf, but it still annoyed him that she can tolerate his foul advances. And to sit him _in front_ of the bastard like that... the more Inuyasha thought about it, the more he felt justified in his anger. By the time he bumped into Kagome, who was just setting out in search of him again, his scowl was deep and he was growling under his breath.

"Inuyasha! There you are! It's almost time for dinner." Kagome figured that if he was returning, it meant his mood must have improved somewhat. Unfortunately, Inuyasha only became more upset at her casual greeting, and chose to walk past her without replying.

Kagome ran to keep up with his fast pace. "Are you still upset over Kouga-kun? I can't believe you can be so childish about something so small. If anyone has a right to be upset here, it should be me. I should be angry at you, you know."

"What?!" He stopped mid-stride and turned to give her an incredulous look.

"That's right. If you didn't want the locket, you should've returned it to me instead of throwing it away like that." Kagome had her arms crossed and was standing her ground. She had planned to ask him about the locket more nicely, but if he was going to be this way, he didn't deserve the benefit of the doubt.

"I didn't throw it away, wench! I dropped it!"

"Right."

"I did! I was going to use it to –" The image of Kouga on one knee, holding the locket and Kagome's hands, flashed through Inuyasha's mind for the hundredth time. He felt angry and mortified all over again. To think he was about to perform an act typical of that idiot wolf, and to be _beaten_ to it, too. If only Kagome knew how he had been willing to lay down his pride for her. Maybe then she would be more grateful to him and less attentive to the damn wolf.

"Stop doing that! Finish your sentences. What were you going to use the locket to do?" Kagome was extremely frustrated. By now, it was clear to her that he had been wanting to tell her something; the confession seemed to be just at the tip of his tongue. If only he would just go straight out and say it. Kagome also thought that maybe she knew what it was he was trying to tell her, and this anticipation was driving her crazy.

"Nothing. Think whatever you want. I don't care." And just like that, he threw away another opportunity to tell her. When he made to resume walking, Kagome slumped to the ground with a loud sigh.

"You know," she began quietly to his turned back. "Lately, I've been thinking about us, and I realized that I've been expecting a lot of you. I think this might be unfair on my part."

Her tone was enough to give Inuyasha pause, but her words sent him into a quiet panic. He was frozen in place, wanting to cover his ears like the little child she had accused him of being, just to keep her words out. But her words continued to enter his awareness unimpeded.

"After all, I like you the way you are, and so I have to accept that the way you are means some things just aren't meant to be."

The two were completely unaware of an audience not far away. Miroku, Sango, and Shippou had hid themselves the moment they saw Inuyasha and Kagome talking. They had been joined soon after by Kaede and Kirara, and everyone was currently straining their ears and hanging on to Kagome's every word. Whatever outcome the observers had expected from the conversation, this was definitely not it.

Sango's forehead creased in a worried frown. She knew that Inuyasha could frustrate Kagome to no end, but she was also sure that Kagome loved him despite all that. To think Kagome would end their relationship, undefined as it is, was inconceivable. And yet, what they were witnessing said otherwise.

Next to her, Miroku was sweating bullets for Inuyasha. Sure, he knew Inuyasha did not have any charm whatsoever and often joked that if Inuyasha did not make a move soon, Kagome would leave him. But he had never seriously believed it.

Even Shippou's thoughts ran along the same route as everyone else's. Despite all his teasing otherwise, he had never imagined any other outcome that didn't include Kagome and Inuyasha together. He had known it wouldn't go smoothly, of course. How can anything that included Inuyasha and romance ever go according to plan? But he had been secretly rooting for the hanyou, and Miroku's hand on his shoulder was the only thing holding him back from running out to hug Kagome and beg her to forgive the baka.

"Wha – what are you trying to say, Kagome?" Inuyasha had gained enough composure to stammer out a question.

"I'm saying now that our battles are over, I want to look towards the future. I need to make some major decisions about my life. And some major changes, too." Kagome paused to look down at her feet for a moment, searching for her next words. "Inuyasha, you might not want to hear this, but I wanted to at least tell you before I went home."

At the words "went home," Inuyasha instinctively reached out to grab Kagome's hand to prevent her from moving away, although they were far from the well.

"You're not going back to your time!" Inuyasha yelled at her. He didn't have any convincing arguments at the ready to back up his words, but he knew he wouldn't let her leave. A part of him was considering how fast he would have to run ahead of her to block the well before she could sit him.

"Wait, don't interrupt me, Inuyasha. I have to say this before I lose my nerve. I –"

"No!" he interrupted her anyway, "I said –"

Kagome raised her voice to talk over his. "I know you were trying to tell me something. I'm not sure what it was, but it won't change what I'm about to say."

Inuyasha was shaking his head back and forth, one hand still holding on to Kagome's arm. But he jerked away in alarm when she reached out to grab the beads around his neck.

"What are you doing?!"

"I'm taking these off of you. I want –"

"No way! You can't take them back. They're mine!"

"What is wrong with you? Don't you want to be free of the spell?"

"I don't want to be free of anything!"

"But I think it's time that we –"

"I said no already. Stop being so stubborn!" Inuyasha yanked the sleeve of his haori out of Kagome's grasp and quickly put some distance between them. He had one hand clasped around the beads protectively and the other pointing at her in warning.

Kagome stopped trying to snatch at the beads and placed both her hands on her hips. "Inuyasha, you are making this very difficult for me."

"Good. So stop trying, wench!"

"No. I. Won't." Kagome punctuated each word with a long stride towards him.

"If you think that you can just take the beads and run off back to your world, then you're wrong. Because I'm never giving them up!"

Kagome had grabbed onto one of his sleeves again and was reaching for the beads, but Inuyasha was batting her hand away. "I'm trying to show you that this spell is not needed between us anymore!"

Inuyasha yanked the beads back, "Yeah, right! You were using it just the other day."

"Fine, keep them if you want." She abruptly let go of her hold on him, causing Inuyasha to fall to the ground. "But I'll just say this."

Seeing that he had his mouth open to interrupt her again, Kagome rushed her words out. "Inuyasha, I have always cared for you, and – well, at the risk of sounding a lot like Kouga, I just wanted to let you know that our experiences _have_ brought us even closer. I told you before that I always want to be by your side, and this is still true. More than ever, actually. I can imagine spending my life with you…"

Kagome locked her gaze on Inuyasha determinedly and took a deep breath. "I guess I'm trying to ask…will you…marry me?"

A collective gasp rang out from the eavesdroppers, followed by a long silence. Even though they no longer bothered at stealth, Kagome and Inuyasha's friends had all been startled into stillness. The effect of Kagome's words on Inuyasha, however, was much more acute. Once his brain had finished processing her question, he was left in a state of shock so great his face burned up as all the blood in his body rushed to his head. It was obvious that he was frantically trying to reply, but his mouth just wouldn't cooperate. His lips were moving to form the words, but he was choking on them instead due to his jaws refusing to close properly.

From somewhere in the background, Miroku came to the rescue. "Nod your head, you fool!"

For the first time in his life, Inuyasha followed Miroku's suggestion immediately and unquestioningly. He was still shaking his head up and down vigorously when Kagome stopped his movements with an arm around his shoulder.

"Okay, I get it, Inuyasha," she said with a laugh.

Sango had recovered from the shock of her friend's boldness and was now beaming at their happiness. Miroku was also wearing a broad smile, and Kaede was nodding in approval. Even Kirara was purring her satisfaction. The only one who seemed unhappy was Shippou.

He bounced up and down while shouting at Inuyasha in outrage. "Arghhhh, Inuyasha! I can't believe you made the _girl_ ask! You are so lame!"

Inuyasha, who had always been better at violence, insults, and combining the two, immediately jumped to his feet.

"I thought I told you all to stop spying on us!! Especially you, runt. I'm going to teach you a lesson for always opening that big mouth of yours!"

"Are you sure Kagome wouldn't do a better job? She seems to be doing everything better than you lately!"

Inuyasha's face had turned a darker shade of red from knowing that such a private moment between Kagome and him had been witnessed by all. He glared at Shippou, but did not move away from Kagome.

Sango had made her way over to the couple. "I'm so happy for you two! But you did have me worrying for a moment there. What did you mean you were returning home?"

"I had planned to talk to my family about my decision to stay here."

"Ah, that makes sense."

"Looks like we've been assisting the wrong person all this time," muttered Miroku, to which he received a glare from Inuyasha. "So the fifth time was the charm, eh?" The last was addressed to Shippou, who simply replied, "Technically, he never succeeded. He was just lucky that he didn't have to try anymore."

Ignoring the snide comments, Inuyasha attempted to explain himself. "Kagome, these past few days, I had been trying to – I wanted to ask the same, but something always went wrong."

"I suspected as much, but that's all right, Inuyasha. I have a feeling you and mushy, romantic confessions just aren't meant to be."

Inuyasha gave Kagome a grateful smile in response, and Kagome took his hand in hers again. But their moment was interrupted as Miroku came up behind the two, looping one arm over each of their shoulders. "Do not despair, Kagome-sama. There is hope yet for our Inuyasha. I'm certain that once he holds his first child in his arms, even he would be moved to tears and heartfelt confessions."

Eagerly pushing the two towards the hut, Miroku advised, "Now all that's left to do is for you two to start working on it!"

"Miroku!" Everyone yelled in unison, as Inuyasha turned around to smack Miroku on the head.

**End.**


End file.
